NATIONAL: Oscar Pistorius jailed for six years

Paralympian athlete Oscar Pistorius has been sentenced to six years for the murder of his girlfriend.

The verdict comes after his initial five-year conviction for manslaughter was changed to murder last December on appeal.

The South African was taken immediately to jail.

Pistorius, 29, shot Reeva Steenkamp four times through a locked toilet door in February, 2013.

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He admitted shooting her, but said he mistook her for an intruder and was acting out of fear.

In an hour-long session, Judge Thokozile Masipa said mitigating circumstances, such as rehabilitation and remorse, outweighed aggravating factors for deviating from the prescribed 15-year sentence for murder.